“We appreciate receiving an HB2604 grant to help purchase our new fleet addition,” said Fire Chief Bryan Reynolds. “The Freightliner chassis with its 1,500-gallon water tank, drop tank of equal volume, 15-gallon foam tank and front bumper water monitor is an upgrade from the truck it is replacing.”

Reynolds states that the new tender can carry three firefighters, will be safer and gives them greater access to fires in difficult areas of their rough terrain.

“There are fire hydrants in the community but there are 6,500 people living in the rural areas of our county that do not always have immediate access to large volumes of water needed to fight fires,” said Reynolds. “This truck with its four-wheel-drive will allow us to take water into those areas and increases our capacity for a quicker knock down of the flames.”

The Hurst tools, which include various heavy-duty cutters and rams, are battery-operated and weigh in at about half the heft of the Squad's older generator-powered tools - yet have even greater power, said Squad Chief J.

This project funds the demolition and replacement of Fire Station 203, located in the Beverly Hills area of the City of Alexandria. This facility was built in 1948 and is no longer adequate to support modern fire and EMS apparatus, equipment, and operations.

The new fire station will be a 15,000 square feet, two-story structure with two and a half operational bays to house an engine, a medic, administrative units, and all required personnel; as well as having the capacity for special service units.

Firefighters in West Warwick hope police can track down the vandals who damaged a memorial to firefighters. "It's s a sacred place for us. It's a place where we can remember our deceased brothers and sisters," said Jim Rita with the West Warwick Firefighters Memorial Park.

Fire Chief Raymund Durkee was on hand Tuesday to tell those who attended an open house at the fire station about the city's new fire engine. The vehicle was officially put in service this week along with a Gator off-road vehicle.